Miter saws are a vital component of every woodworking shop. However, not many beginners to woodworking are too keen on purchasing a miter saw stand that may cost a lot of money; many of us are not keen to buy something expensive that will end up gathering dust anyway once the original interest starts waning.

The thing is, you don’t really have to spend a lot of money to build your own miter saw stand; it’s an excellent way to exercise and enhance your woodworking chops, while staying motivated and thus a positive reinforcement to your newfound hobby. It’s also a nice, easy project for you to see whether you’re cut out to work with wood.

We’ll show you just how easy it is to build your own miter saw stand for items that cost a fraction of what a miter saw stand retails for these days. Here are the three things you will need to build your own miter saw stand.

The Basic Components

Folding steel sawhorses will not cost you more than $18; especially when you buy them on sale. These can cost you even less if you purchase them secondhand. You will need a couple of these sawhorses. Ebco Products’ SS-29 steel sawhorse retails for $17.99 a piece, and is a great choice for you to pick for a 29-inch sawhorse; the same is true for a 31-inch sawhorse. Just make sure that they are big enough to accommodate your work.

Another component you will need are two pieces of lumber at a dimension of 2×4 (2×6 works if you have a 31-inch sawhorse), respectively. These will form the base of your work surface; total cost for lumber will be more or less $5.

Lastly, you will need bolts, washers, and wing nuts depending on the leg thickness of your miter saw. You will have plenty of these lying in your workspace, so put them to good use with this project.

The Process

Now that you’re all set, stagger the sawhorses to bring them close to each other. Then, using a drill bit, drill through the support legs of your squared-up miter saw and into the wood. Do this for all legs. Using bolts and wing nuts will enable you to easily assemble and disassemble your stand as necessary, so that if you need to use your sawhorses for another project, you can just as quickly replace them. And there you have your basic miter saw stand: total cost, $41.

Final Words

As your skill improves as well as your tool set, and once you’ve decided for yourself that woodworking is for you, then it would be a great idea to pick up your own model. The folks at Straight Kerfs have the lowdown on every miter saw stand that’s worth its salt for you to make the best-informed purchase. You will find that you won’t have to pay over the odds for a functional, reliable miter saw stand; after all, you’ve just made one yourself. The experience of building your own gives you the practical knowledge to know what is best for your working style; Straight Kerfs will point you to the best options for your budget.